‘United fail to turn
Saturday afternoon into Wednesday mourning’ read the headline in the Herald
Express following this cup tie, as the Gulls did themselves proud against their
Second Division opponents.
Wins over Colchester
United, non-league Carshalton Athletic and Oxford United - after a replay - set United up for a fourth
round meeting with Sheffield Wednesday, which saw the Gulls’ then rookie manager
Bruce Rioch pitting his managerial wits against 1966 World Cup winner Jack
Charlton who was the incumbent of the managerial hotseat at Hillsborough.
A crowd of 7,283 poured into Plainmoor to witness the encounter and within the opening minute Wednesday raced into
an early lead when skipper Mike Lyons headed home a free-kick from Gary Megson
after 36 seconds.
The Gulls hit back on 28 minutes when Owls keeper Bob Bolder
– under a challenge from United striker Steve Cooper – failed to clear a Colin
Anderson corner and Bristol Rovers loanee Mark Hughes volleyed home an
equaliser from 12-yards.
In the 57th minute Wednesday regained the lead
thanks to a short corner routine involving Megson and right-back Mel Sterland.
Former Nottingham Forest midfielder Megson rolled a short pass to future
England defender Sterland, who fired a 25-yarder into the top corner.
This goal looked to have been enough to settle the
encounter, but the Gulls, and more precisely Cooper, had other ideas. On 74
minutes, he had the beating of Lyons and flicked a free-kick from Brian McDonnell
into the path of substitute Ray Bishop - who had only been on the pitch for
three minutes - and the Welshman hammered home a 25-yard volley past Bolder to
level the score at 2-2.
With eight minutes to go, and the tie seemingly heading for
a replay at Hillsborough, Wednesday’s Pat Heard picked out Megson who then
slotted home from ten-yards to settle the contest.
The Owls would go on to reach the semi-finals of the
competition that season, where they were beaten by Brighton
and Hove Albion.
Perhaps one of the most intriguing aspects of the afternoon
was the contest between Wednesday captain Lyons and Cooper, who was leading the
Gulls attack. After the game, Wednesday manager Charlton said: “We had heard
Cooper put himself about a bit, but we never expected anything like that. We
could handle everything else but not him.”
This was a sentiment shared by his opposite number Rioch,
who said: “I have never seen Mick Lyons knocked about so much, and lose so many
heading duels, Steve lead the line like a Lion.”
The last word went to Lyons himself who, when asked about
his contest with Cooper by the Herald Express’ United correspondent David
Thomas, replied: “Cooper, is that his name. Well, I never want to see him
again, never mind play against him!”
Charlton himself resigned as Owls manager at the end of the 1982-83 campaign. A second stint in charge of Middlesbrough followed before he managed Newcastle United for a brief period prior to his appointment as Republic of Ireland manager in 1986, a role he would hold for the next decade.
Charlton himself resigned as Owls manager at the end of the 1982-83 campaign. A second stint in charge of Middlesbrough followed before he managed Newcastle United for a brief period prior to his appointment as Republic of Ireland manager in 1986, a role he would hold for the next decade.
A full account of this game, and many others, can be found in Torquay United: A History in 50 Matches which is available from this link https://torquayunitedahistoryin50.bigcartel.com/product/torquay-united-a-history-in-50-matches
